to do list for saturday. (updated)

- do not spend a lot of time farting about on the computer (too late!)
- finish the laundry started earlier in the week (there's a load sitting in the washing machine, probably getting funky, that can't be put in the dryer yet because there's still a load in there, hopefully dry but very wrinkly) - done
- clean up the house a bit - uh, not done
- finish the chain necklace and think about some other beading projects - done! pics to come
- get some knitting done - I made some progress on the sock, yay

I'm afflicted with "second sock syndrome" and have not made much progress on my toe-up sock mate. I will not allow myself to start any new projects until it's finished! And I really want to start on a summer cardigan or sweater or tank... (I picked up the spring Interweave Knits a few weeks ago)

Enough list-making, time to start doing!

Food log for Friday:

input
8 AM - coffee
10 AM - green tea
11 AM - granola with yogourt
2 PM - curry stew over rice
4 PM - coffee
6:30 PM - a handful of chips and a cupcake
9 PM - veggie enchiladas with tomatillo sauce and two giant margaritas at Margarita's and chips & guac of course

The drinks and guacamole at Margarita's are delicious, but the vegetable mix that they use for the vegetarian dishes is kind of odd - green and yellow beans, baby carrots, cauliflower and broccoli. Those are all good veggies, but they don't seem to go Tex-Mex very well. The service is a bit spotty as well, but I found it funny that the server called me "Lady". Not as in "Would the lady like another drink?" but rather "Can I take your order... Lady?"

Food log for Thursday:

input
8 AM - coffee
9:45 AM - green tea
11:15 AM - bread with PB (I got busy and didn't eat breakfast, then had to gulp something down before class)
2 PM - salad with homemade croutons, cukes, sunflower seeds, tomatoes and balsamic dressing
4:30 PM - toast with PB, orange spice tea (I'm trying to break out of the earl grey rut, but the orange spice doesn't taste like anything... not orangey, not spicy.)
6:30 PM - a few bites of the leftovers T was eating
10 PM - another big salad, but I added cheese and a spinach-tofu patty

output
12 PM - step & sculpt class. Heavy on cardio today. I'm wiped.

cat sitting.

Tryp is making himself at home. Last night he got up on the couch and cuddled up with the pillow and afghan (knit by me... originally a gift for my aunt & uncle but was never gifted... oops). He actually had his head on the pillow! So cute.

He has officially given up his hiding spot and moved to the couch full time. When T called me today, Tryp jumped up on his lap. "He's a heavy cat," said T. Slight understatement.

I bet T is still there, trapped under a furry, purring anvil.

Food log for Wednesday:

input
7:45 AM - coffee
10 AM - green tea
10:45 AM - granola
2:30 PM - baked potato with kidney bean cream sauce
3:45 PM - earl grey tea
6:30 PM - cupcake (only one per day, that's not bad)
9 PM - a handful of potato chips
10:00 PM - a small portion of leftover shep's pie

output
1 pm - yoga class

next up.

Cuba Libre cupcakes

I haven't even finished eating the Lemon-Raspberry ones yet! I'll have to give them away... that'll be soooo hard... ha ha.

cat sitting.

Tryp-man is staying with us for a week while Mr. & Mrs. Cream Cheese have their house up for sale. We're putting him up in the studio, not the apartment with our two babies. Oxo has enough problems dealing with his "little sister", I don't want to add another cat to the mix.


So far, so good. Tryp has found a nice hiding spot, underneath a table and between boxes where we can't reach him. Typical cat.


He looks pretty happy though. (except for the flash in his face!)

Food log for Tuesday:

input
8 AM - coffee
9:30 AM - green tea
11 AM - granola
2:15 PM - shep's pie
4:30 PM - earl grey tea
7:30 PM- some carrot sticks
8:30 PM - cupcake
9:30 PM - baked potato with kidney bean cream cheese sauce

output
I didn't go to the gym today. The weight class was cancelled and I meant to go and work out on my own later in the day... but didn't.

behind the curve.

I'm so behind the times. The beauty bloggers are talking about how they're so over black nails, and I'm just getting started! Well... I doubt that I'm "getting started", it's just a little flirtation. What I like about the black is that it's unexpected - I don't usually wear dark polish, no one that I work with wears polish period, and rarely do my friends wear polish. If I was surrounded by black polished nails I would get tired of it - I'll probably be tired of it after wearing it twice! And it will be back to my regular naked nails.... or clear... or something pale...

My mani is starting to get a little chipped at the tips, but it's still glossy. I don't think it will last long enough to test out the opalescent pink on top, but maybe I'll try it tonight.

Food log for Monday:

input
7:45 AM - coffee
10:15 AM - granola w/soy milk, green tea
2 PM - leftover shepherd's pie
3:30 PM - earl grey tea
8:30 PM - 1 cupcake, then some chips to wash it down
10:00 PM - a few bites of Tman's shepherd's pie... OK more than a few bites, but not a meal

output
1.25 hr - bellydancing class

I skipped yoga class today because I was a bit late for work, and I have to leave early to get to dance class. It doesn't feel right. :(

cupcakes.

Sweet and delicious.

Baked from scratch and iced with love by yours truly.

They are lemon cupcakes with raspberry lemon icing. I used recipes for lemon cupcakes and lemon icing from 250 Best Cakes and Pies by Esther Brody (purchased from Winners for cheap). I just tossed a little raspberry jam in the icing for fun, and to make it pink. They taste goooooooood.

Apologies for the dark photos.

Food log for Sunday:

input
9 AM - coffee
11 AM - granola
12 PM - coffee
3 PM - smoothie with soy milk, OJ, strawberries (frozen), banana (frozen), Greens +... followed by some potato chips
4 PM - green tea
6 PM - cupcakes! (just 1.5, but I had to sample the icing a few times...)
9:30 PM - shepherd's pie with lentils, carrots, cabbage and kale, topped with mashed potatoes

bread.


I've been dreaming about cupcakes lately, but I was practical and baked bread instead. I made Outrageously Easy BIG Bread which is true to its name. I use about 4 cups whole wheat flour to 2 cups all-purpose. I forgot about when it was rising (damn Facebook) and the tea towel that was covering the loaves stuck to the dough... I even oiled the tops to try to prevent it. Arrgh. Recipes that tell you to use a cloth LIE, stick with environmentally un-friendly plastic wrap. (if there's a secret non-stick method to using a tea towel, please share) Anyway, after that fiasco I re-kneaded and re-shaped the loaves and let them rise for a third time. It worked out quite well, I have 4 smallish loaves - well, 3 now because we've just about finished one. It is the softest bread I have ever baked! Soft like Wonder bread. (hmm is that really a compliment?)

It's delicious. That's all that matters.

knitting.

Sock update: I didn't knit very much during the week, but I made some progress on the sock mate yesterday. Soon I'll have to start the 2nd ball of yarn... with my luck it will be on the heel!

This pic also shows off my fancy black nail polish. oooh aaah. Don't look too closely, I did a terrible job around the cuticles. This colour is not really appropriate for work (but do I care?) so my plan is to paint a coat of iridescent pink on top of the black... will post the result!

Food log for Saturday:

input
9 AM - coffee
10 AM - more coffee
12 PM - granola with soy milk (which has been open for 2 weeks or so... time to throw it out)
3 PM - leftover pasta
9:30 PM - sandwich with Tofurkey slices & cheese, french fries

output
1.5 hr. - bellydancing

Note the lack of fruits and veggies... definitely not getting my 5 to 10 a day!

Food log for Friday:

input
8 AM - coffee
10:30 AM - granola with soymilk
1 PM - half of a tomato & cucumber sandwich
3 PM - other half of sandwich
a few candies that R. brought in to work (but not too many)
6:45 PM - choclate pound cake & tea
9:30 PM - pasta with pesto, spinach, zucchini & tomato

output
1 hr. - weights.

March workout: I do 2 sets of each set, alternating between the 2 moves (12-15 reps).

Set #1: Lunge with bicep curl, seated row
Set #2: Dead lifts, push-ups (or chest press)
Set #3: Squat with shoulder press, tricep pulldown with cable
Set #4: Leg lifts (lower abs), lower back extension

It's a variation of a workout I found at www.shape.com. I meant to do it once per week, among my other classes, but I ended up going to the muscle conditioning classes instead - I get a better workout that way, because I don't always push myself. And I love the step & sculpt class - cardio and weights all in one!

Food log for Thursday:

input
8 AM - coffee
9:30 AM - earl grey tea
11:45 AM - granola with soy milk (yum!!!!!)
2:30 PM - egg salad sandwich
3 PM green tea
6:30 PM - coffee
8 PM - falafel and french fries (mall food court gourmet ha ha)

output
does shopping count? no? rats. Let's call it a rest day.

granola.


I made some granola this evening. Finally! I will have something decent to eat for breakfast. Fruit is good for me, I know, but it's just not filling and I start feeling starving hungry about 15 minutes after I eat an apple.

I used the Orange Blueberry Maple Granola recipe from Extraveganza by Laura Matthias. I didn't have blueberries so I added dried cranberries and raisins instead. I also added sunflower seeds and wheat germ (you can see the wheat germ stuck to the fruit).

My dear friends Wendy and Todd gave me this book (they are friends with the author) and it has a lot of amazing recipes. I really should use it more often!

Food log for Wednesday:

input
8 AM - coffee
10 AM - green tea & an apple
12 PM - decaf coffee & oatmeal
3 PM - onion soup (I added some rice to the soup), 2 pc. bread with margarine
5 PM - orange
6:30 PM - tortilla chips (they were handy and I was hungry)
9:30 PM - egg salad sandwich with tomato

output
1 PM - yoga class

eggy weggies

Food log for Tuesday:

input
8 AM - coffee
10 AM - green tea
11 AM - 2 pc. toast with PB
2 PM - half serving of leftover curry stew (not loving it at this point)
5 PM (post gym) - rest of curry stew & cup of tea
9:30 PM - apple
10 PM - onion soup with toast & cheese

output
30 min. cardio (15 bike/15 elliptical)

I was feeling rather broken this morning, so I decided not to do the weight class today and opted for some easy(ish) cardio instead. I'm quite proud of myself for doing 15 min. on each machine - usually I get bored and quit at the 12 minute mark. The first 10 min. on the bike was tough, but then I must have hit a "zone" because it was OK after. I was listening to a Yoga Journal podcast on the yamas and niyamas, so that kept my mind off what I was doing. Which was sweating. Gross.